Our Daily Bread
I don't know about you, but I was a little upset I didn't get my invitation to the royal wedding this week! hehehe Can you imagine being invited to something like that? All the royalty and dignitaries and pomp and circumstance! I would have to be on my best behavior and that is not always that good! hehehe
Imagine this world as the royal wedding and we are the guests of God. Shouldn't we be on our best behavior here? We were born into this invitation. God sent us a second invitation in the form of his son, Jesus. While the Brits may excuse our rudeness because we are Americans, God can forgive us of our sins if we repent and ask forgiveness. We cannot and should not take that for granted. I am afraid I do that too many times.
Lord, I want to sin less and love more.
Simply Saturday
I had a good time yesterday. Work was busy, but I got a few things done. I had a late lunch with a college friend who was in town for a conference, then went to see the movie Fast Five. It was much better than the past few sequels. Whew! I will review the movie on Monday.
I stayed overnight with my niece, Halie. Halie is a Lab mix dog that I am sitting for my hero this weekend. I know I confused the heck out of her because I took her out of her routine. I will visit her again late this afternoon to let her out and maybe take her for a walk. My walking appointment this afternoon got canceled due to a work issue. I plan to attend the CUB movie night at the Arena Grand tonight. That should be fun.
I am helping out a friend tomorrow afternoon. I plan to do my packing for San Diego Sunday evening.
So this new road I am taking feels odd, but I know down deep it is the right one. I feel confident about where it goes, though I really don't know exactly. Like I have said several times before -- what does it matter where the road goes as long as God is leading!
I hope and pray that you are following your road. Have faith. Trust God. Believe in his love and grace. I know I do.
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Did I do that?
Our Daily Bread
A popular TV personality used to squeak out after yet another disasterous adventure -- "Did I do that?" hehehe
That is what I feel sometimes when I question God, which I have been doing a lot lately. Questioning is not wrong or unhealthy. We are human. We question things we don't understand. Where it becomes sin is when we choose to not follow God after these periods of doubt. The devotional talks about the symbol of Murphy's Law in the Old Testament - Job. He suffered almost every loss a person could suffer. He questioned God. He then realized that God is on his throne. God is and will always be in control, even when it doesn't seem like it!
Lord thank you for loving me and watching out for me even when I doubt. I want to trust you more and more each and every day.
Foodie Friday
The recipe this week is for sugar free chocolate pie. There is no added sugar, but there are carbs in the pie so count accordingly!
2 small boxes of chocolate fudge sugar free pudding mix (I prefer Jello brand)
3 cups of skim milk
1 graham cracker pie shell (here is where the carbs are! You can buy a reduced fat one if you want).
Combine the milk and two packages of pudding mix. I use the shaker method instead of the mixer method. You can use what you want. Pour the mixture in the pie shell. Chill for a few hours before serving.
Yes, you will probably notice that two small boxes of pudding mix usually calls for four cups of milk. Using less milk makes the concoction stand up in a pie shell and gives it a rich chocolate flavor even with lots of sugar free whipped topping on top!
Other Stuff
Whew! I finished mowing my lawn just as the rain started up again last night. The lawn is looking nice even though there are some bare spots here and there. Not sure why. Will probably put in some filler grass seed this weekend. My perennials are coming up. Woohoooo!
I did a few things around the house last night. Went to bed early. I am looking forward to relaxing this weekend. I had a tough month... I am looking forward to my trip next week.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
A popular TV personality used to squeak out after yet another disasterous adventure -- "Did I do that?" hehehe
That is what I feel sometimes when I question God, which I have been doing a lot lately. Questioning is not wrong or unhealthy. We are human. We question things we don't understand. Where it becomes sin is when we choose to not follow God after these periods of doubt. The devotional talks about the symbol of Murphy's Law in the Old Testament - Job. He suffered almost every loss a person could suffer. He questioned God. He then realized that God is on his throne. God is and will always be in control, even when it doesn't seem like it!
Lord thank you for loving me and watching out for me even when I doubt. I want to trust you more and more each and every day.
Foodie Friday
The recipe this week is for sugar free chocolate pie. There is no added sugar, but there are carbs in the pie so count accordingly!
2 small boxes of chocolate fudge sugar free pudding mix (I prefer Jello brand)
3 cups of skim milk
1 graham cracker pie shell (here is where the carbs are! You can buy a reduced fat one if you want).
Combine the milk and two packages of pudding mix. I use the shaker method instead of the mixer method. You can use what you want. Pour the mixture in the pie shell. Chill for a few hours before serving.
Yes, you will probably notice that two small boxes of pudding mix usually calls for four cups of milk. Using less milk makes the concoction stand up in a pie shell and gives it a rich chocolate flavor even with lots of sugar free whipped topping on top!
Other Stuff
Whew! I finished mowing my lawn just as the rain started up again last night. The lawn is looking nice even though there are some bare spots here and there. Not sure why. Will probably put in some filler grass seed this weekend. My perennials are coming up. Woohoooo!
I did a few things around the house last night. Went to bed early. I am looking forward to relaxing this weekend. I had a tough month... I am looking forward to my trip next week.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Don't hate...
Our Daily Bread
Have you ever watched the comedy show Reno 911? In their silly movie, two characters were walking down the beach in Miami saying "Don't hate. Don't hate now..." hehehe It was funny at the time!
The devotional today talks about what a person's life is like when he rejects God. It is not a "secular" life. It is a life of hate and hard feelings towards almost everything. The sad thing is that Satan has these folks so deluded that they don't even know what they are feeling or doing most of the time! That is just my opinion. Scripture sort of backs it up though.
I have had feelings of being disconnected from God lately. God hasn't moved. I have moved away. I am building my faith to trust God through EVERY situation. I have no clue where my life is going even though I plan as best as I can. I will trust God. I will have faith. I will believe in his healing power for all areas of my life. Seriously... if I can believe in all of this with my life circumstances, can't you?
Lord, I want to trust you more. I want others to see you in my life.
Technology Thursday
Are you one of the millions that purchased an ereader? They come in many different types and styles and formats like the iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony eReader, and some off brands that can do some of this stuff. I wanted to bring to your attention that there are many free book sites on the Internet. Amazon.com has many free or very inexpensive books. I downloaded several different translations of the Bible on the Kindle application running on my iPad. I can carry ten Bibles in the space of one iPad! I can search easily too!
Check it out. You can find some very cool stuff.
Other stuff
I am feeling better after taking meds the past week. I need to get back on my weight loss plan and lose some weight. I haven't been eating well since I haven't been feeling well. There was also this little holiday called Easter that happened as well! I will keep plugging along.
I am excited about my trip to San Diego next week. Woohooo!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Have you ever watched the comedy show Reno 911? In their silly movie, two characters were walking down the beach in Miami saying "Don't hate. Don't hate now..." hehehe It was funny at the time!
The devotional today talks about what a person's life is like when he rejects God. It is not a "secular" life. It is a life of hate and hard feelings towards almost everything. The sad thing is that Satan has these folks so deluded that they don't even know what they are feeling or doing most of the time! That is just my opinion. Scripture sort of backs it up though.
I have had feelings of being disconnected from God lately. God hasn't moved. I have moved away. I am building my faith to trust God through EVERY situation. I have no clue where my life is going even though I plan as best as I can. I will trust God. I will have faith. I will believe in his healing power for all areas of my life. Seriously... if I can believe in all of this with my life circumstances, can't you?
Lord, I want to trust you more. I want others to see you in my life.
Technology Thursday
Are you one of the millions that purchased an ereader? They come in many different types and styles and formats like the iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony eReader, and some off brands that can do some of this stuff. I wanted to bring to your attention that there are many free book sites on the Internet. Amazon.com has many free or very inexpensive books. I downloaded several different translations of the Bible on the Kindle application running on my iPad. I can carry ten Bibles in the space of one iPad! I can search easily too!
Check it out. You can find some very cool stuff.
Other stuff
I am feeling better after taking meds the past week. I need to get back on my weight loss plan and lose some weight. I haven't been eating well since I haven't been feeling well. There was also this little holiday called Easter that happened as well! I will keep plugging along.
I am excited about my trip to San Diego next week. Woohooo!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
I admit it...
Our Daily Bread
I admit it. I talk too much! I am not bad about gossiping, but I talk a lot. I am a good conversationalist so it is not all one sided. I am also a good listener.
The devotional today talks about talking. A wise person minimizes his/her words unless there is something wise and good to say. Talking for talking's sake is not wise or good! I was always taught "if you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything!". With some folks, I have to just keep my mouth shut!
Lord, I want to be wise and hold my tongue when needed.
Other Stuff
I promised myself that 2011 would be different for me. I will continue (and have continued) my steadfast fight against my health issues. I am also continuing to not let those things hold me back from my "no ordinary life". I am finally making the tough decisions and sticking with them about my friendships (or so called friendships). I thank God for his healing and strength. Being around people that constantly try to belittle you or drag you down is not healthy. I refuse to do it any longer. I finally realized that it is not my job to help those folks in the way I was trying to help.
I am so very fortunate to have several close friends that are caring and supportive. I will focus my energy on those folks. I will pray for the others, but not hold them close. Remember, they are cactus people! hehehe
Life is very good for me, regardless of these little inconveniences. I know I am not perfect. I know that people hold me to a high standard because I put myself out there. I hold myself to a high standard. I will continue to push along in my life.
I write these things to encourage each of you -- be strong. Take chances to make your life better. Be brave enough to walk down the road ahead of you even though you can't see where it will go. What does it matter as long as God is leading? ;-)
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I admit it. I talk too much! I am not bad about gossiping, but I talk a lot. I am a good conversationalist so it is not all one sided. I am also a good listener.
The devotional today talks about talking. A wise person minimizes his/her words unless there is something wise and good to say. Talking for talking's sake is not wise or good! I was always taught "if you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything!". With some folks, I have to just keep my mouth shut!
Lord, I want to be wise and hold my tongue when needed.
Other Stuff
I promised myself that 2011 would be different for me. I will continue (and have continued) my steadfast fight against my health issues. I am also continuing to not let those things hold me back from my "no ordinary life". I am finally making the tough decisions and sticking with them about my friendships (or so called friendships). I thank God for his healing and strength. Being around people that constantly try to belittle you or drag you down is not healthy. I refuse to do it any longer. I finally realized that it is not my job to help those folks in the way I was trying to help.
I am so very fortunate to have several close friends that are caring and supportive. I will focus my energy on those folks. I will pray for the others, but not hold them close. Remember, they are cactus people! hehehe
Life is very good for me, regardless of these little inconveniences. I know I am not perfect. I know that people hold me to a high standard because I put myself out there. I hold myself to a high standard. I will continue to push along in my life.
I write these things to encourage each of you -- be strong. Take chances to make your life better. Be brave enough to walk down the road ahead of you even though you can't see where it will go. What does it matter as long as God is leading? ;-)
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
I can only imagine
Our Daily Bread
I guess I am excited about going to heaven. I mean what child of God wouldn't be? If you remember, I wrote about this topic a few weeks ago. While I look forward to heaven, I am more concerned about making heaven on earth. Like the Lord's Prayer says "They kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven".
Shouldn't that be our main concern instead of day dreaming about what heaven will be like?
Lord, I want to make this world as heavenly as possible. Please help me to know the things to do to make that happen!
Other Stuff
I have been "cleaning house" when it comes to friendships or people that I thought of or treated as friends. It is difficult especially when you have invested so much time and energy and sometimes money into the friendships. There times when the song The Gambler applies -- You gotta know when to fold 'em. It is a sad time for me since friends are important to me. Some folks really haven't earned the title of friend, but I treated them that way because I wanted to be their friends so badly (not sure why sometimes!).
I think I push the friendship title at times due to a crush or spending some time with a person that really doesn't share your idea of friendship. Understand? I hope so, because I don't! hehehe To some folks, their definition of a friend is what I would call an acquaintance. My friendships tend to be long-lasting. We can pick up where we left off if we don't get to see each other for a long time. I had a close friend from college that I reunited with after 29 years. His wife and children thought we had been best friends our whole lives! Most folks cannot do that.
My biggest problem the past few years has been holding some people too closely that didn't deserve a special place in my life. Their commitment to the friendship was not as strong as mine. Their idea of friendship definitely didn't match up to mine! The problem is that when the crush is gone or there is no hope of a romantic relationship, the rest of the relationship falls apart for me as well. These folks are now acquaintances. They no longer deserve priority in my life.
Yes, this is painful in the short term. Realizing that this is best for me in the long term keeps me going most of the time. I get sad about the loss of these "friendships' until I remember to NOT romanticize what we had. It was not always bad, but it was definitely wasn't as good as what I romanticize about.
The bottom line? Do you best to accept folks where they are. I try to do that. Do your best to live up to your Christian commitment to love folks. I do that as best I can. Protect yourself from folks that use you or try to manipulate you or make you feel bad about yourself for being who you are.
Lord, help me be a friend. Help me be the kind of man you want me to be...
I guess I am excited about going to heaven. I mean what child of God wouldn't be? If you remember, I wrote about this topic a few weeks ago. While I look forward to heaven, I am more concerned about making heaven on earth. Like the Lord's Prayer says "They kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven".
Shouldn't that be our main concern instead of day dreaming about what heaven will be like?
Lord, I want to make this world as heavenly as possible. Please help me to know the things to do to make that happen!
Other Stuff
I have been "cleaning house" when it comes to friendships or people that I thought of or treated as friends. It is difficult especially when you have invested so much time and energy and sometimes money into the friendships. There times when the song The Gambler applies -- You gotta know when to fold 'em. It is a sad time for me since friends are important to me. Some folks really haven't earned the title of friend, but I treated them that way because I wanted to be their friends so badly (not sure why sometimes!).
I think I push the friendship title at times due to a crush or spending some time with a person that really doesn't share your idea of friendship. Understand? I hope so, because I don't! hehehe To some folks, their definition of a friend is what I would call an acquaintance. My friendships tend to be long-lasting. We can pick up where we left off if we don't get to see each other for a long time. I had a close friend from college that I reunited with after 29 years. His wife and children thought we had been best friends our whole lives! Most folks cannot do that.
My biggest problem the past few years has been holding some people too closely that didn't deserve a special place in my life. Their commitment to the friendship was not as strong as mine. Their idea of friendship definitely didn't match up to mine! The problem is that when the crush is gone or there is no hope of a romantic relationship, the rest of the relationship falls apart for me as well. These folks are now acquaintances. They no longer deserve priority in my life.
Yes, this is painful in the short term. Realizing that this is best for me in the long term keeps me going most of the time. I get sad about the loss of these "friendships' until I remember to NOT romanticize what we had. It was not always bad, but it was definitely wasn't as good as what I romanticize about.
The bottom line? Do you best to accept folks where they are. I try to do that. Do your best to live up to your Christian commitment to love folks. I do that as best I can. Protect yourself from folks that use you or try to manipulate you or make you feel bad about yourself for being who you are.
Lord, help me be a friend. Help me be the kind of man you want me to be...
Monday, April 25, 2011
How can I live without you?
Our Daily Bread
There is a corny pop song sung by a country singer that I like -- even though it isn't sung that well. "How can I leeaaeeaaave withou-ou-ou-t chew?" hehehe
So many folks think about the victory that we have over death due to the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I choose to focus on the victory we have over LIFE due to the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Are you focusing on the death too much? I know I do someimes!
Movie Monday
I saw the movie Hanna last week. It was an interesting flick. I like movies with strong female characters kicking bad guys butts! hehehe This movie had a lot of that!
The story in a nutshell: Hanna is a DNA experiment baby hidden by her "father" for many years. He trains here to be a soldier so he can get revenge on the woman who killed her real mother. Revenge is always a way to thicken a movie plot! There is lots of action. Some interesting surprises. Some cool cinematography.
I give this flick two bear pays. Try to see it at the movies to get the full effect of the cinematography.
Other Stuff
It is time to get my teeth cleaned! I am trying to sound excited! hehehe
I have a much slower week ahead of me. I hope I don't have to work overtime to make up for some time off next week. We will see.
I am looking forward to my trip to San Diego. There are two bear socials that weekend. Should be fun to meet new folks.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
There is a corny pop song sung by a country singer that I like -- even though it isn't sung that well. "How can I leeaaeeaaave withou-ou-ou-t chew?" hehehe
So many folks think about the victory that we have over death due to the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I choose to focus on the victory we have over LIFE due to the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Are you focusing on the death too much? I know I do someimes!
Movie Monday
I saw the movie Hanna last week. It was an interesting flick. I like movies with strong female characters kicking bad guys butts! hehehe This movie had a lot of that!
The story in a nutshell: Hanna is a DNA experiment baby hidden by her "father" for many years. He trains here to be a soldier so he can get revenge on the woman who killed her real mother. Revenge is always a way to thicken a movie plot! There is lots of action. Some interesting surprises. Some cool cinematography.
I give this flick two bear pays. Try to see it at the movies to get the full effect of the cinematography.
Other Stuff
It is time to get my teeth cleaned! I am trying to sound excited! hehehe
I have a much slower week ahead of me. I hope I don't have to work overtime to make up for some time off next week. We will see.
I am looking forward to my trip to San Diego. There are two bear socials that weekend. Should be fun to meet new folks.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter!`
Happy Easter!
He is Risen!
Hallelujah!
Our Daily Bread
The devotional today is about --- drum roll please -- EASTER! hehehe It is days like Easter and Christmas that help me remember and better appreciate the gift of love that came down to earth, rose from the grave, then ascended back to heaven to his rightful place! Talk about a life that was not ordinary!
I want to thank God for giving me my life -- my no ordinary life. I cannot thank Him or praise Him enough for the grace and love that sustain me and help me live each day.
My prayer for you today is that you will let the risen Christ work in your life! Praise God!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
We put the FUN in dysFUNctional...
Our Daily Bread
Each one of us thinks that we have the most dysfunctional family in the world! It is like "Oh, my Mom! You wouldn't believe it!" "Gosh, Dad is such a trip!" Every family has their issues. I wouldn't say they are all dysfunctional!
The scripture for today's devotional talks about how God told Micah to tell the people of Israel to come together as families. One of the things I learned about Hebrew culture in my D2 class was how the family is the building block for their culture. I thought that was sort of cool. I am not sure it is the same today. Things have changed. From what I see in my own life, many people focus their time and energy on their chosen family instead of their blood relations. Very interesting.
Lord, thank you for my family. Help me appreciate and love them more for all they do for me.
Simply Saturday
Been an interesting week. I am feeling better after taking the drugs the doctor gave me. I am not quite as dizzy as I was midweek. I won't be doing any triple axels anytime soon, but I could never do one of those any way!
I had a "friends night out" with a buddy going through a tough time last night. We had a nice evening of chatting and watching a movie. Good times.
I did a lot of my Easter preparations last night as well. I don't have much left to do except clean a little today and do some cooking tomorrow. I am doing my best to relax and enjoy instead of over doing the event and stressing out about it. I can do this... ;-)
A friend of mine has two cousins that graduated from college this year. They are playing in the Ohio Senior Bowl football game this afternoon. I plan to attend the game with his family. Should be fun. Both guys are being considered for pro contracts. How cool is that!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Each one of us thinks that we have the most dysfunctional family in the world! It is like "Oh, my Mom! You wouldn't believe it!" "Gosh, Dad is such a trip!" Every family has their issues. I wouldn't say they are all dysfunctional!
The scripture for today's devotional talks about how God told Micah to tell the people of Israel to come together as families. One of the things I learned about Hebrew culture in my D2 class was how the family is the building block for their culture. I thought that was sort of cool. I am not sure it is the same today. Things have changed. From what I see in my own life, many people focus their time and energy on their chosen family instead of their blood relations. Very interesting.
Lord, thank you for my family. Help me appreciate and love them more for all they do for me.
Simply Saturday
Been an interesting week. I am feeling better after taking the drugs the doctor gave me. I am not quite as dizzy as I was midweek. I won't be doing any triple axels anytime soon, but I could never do one of those any way!
I had a "friends night out" with a buddy going through a tough time last night. We had a nice evening of chatting and watching a movie. Good times.
I did a lot of my Easter preparations last night as well. I don't have much left to do except clean a little today and do some cooking tomorrow. I am doing my best to relax and enjoy instead of over doing the event and stressing out about it. I can do this... ;-)
A friend of mine has two cousins that graduated from college this year. They are playing in the Ohio Senior Bowl football game this afternoon. I plan to attend the game with his family. Should be fun. Both guys are being considered for pro contracts. How cool is that!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Friday, April 22, 2011
I just can't STAND it!
Our Daily Bread
Of all the funny stories from my days being a church camp counselor, one of my favorites is about a little boy that seemed to have a low tolerance for almost everything! When things got more intense than he could bear, he would loudly say with a Kentucky twang - "I just can't STA-a-A-ND it!" hehehe He was a sweet kid. I don't know whatever happened to him.
Like my little friend, I sometimes feel the same way when the weight of my sins hits me all at once. I hate to admit that I sin a lot. I know my sins affect others. I have also felt the sins of others affecting me. God is gracious to give us his love to forgive and be forgiven!
Lord, Thank you for your love and forgiveness. I need to receive it. I need to give it!
Foodie Friday
2 Cans of Black Beans
4 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Powder
A Few Dashes of Your Favorite Hot Sauce (optional)
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Greek Low Fat Yogurt¼ Cup Cilantro
1 Lime, Juiced
1/2 red onion, chopped
Start by thoroughly rinsing and draining the black beans. I mean thoroughly! Excess moisture makes it harder to get the consistency you want for this recipe. In a blender or food processor, blend together the beans, garlic, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro and spices. When that's blended dump into a bowl along with the rice, red pepper, and red onion. Stir everything with a wooden spoon until you reach a consistency that enables you to form a loaf. Too soft? Add in bread crumbs or panko – Too Stiff? Add in a bit of water. Shape into a loaf and place in a loaf pan.
Other Stuff
My latest medical adventure is a type of vertigo caused by allergies. I was relieved that the issue was something simple, though not necessarily simple to cure. I am taking some new drugs to help this feeling that sometimes wants to make me pass out (like at work the other day!). I am minimizing my driving time until the meds kick in. I teased my friends that I guess I really am the dizzy bitch they think I am! hehehe
I need to focus on getting the house ready for Easter dinner this weekend. It is supposed to rain A LOT in Columbus this weekend. OH well.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Of all the funny stories from my days being a church camp counselor, one of my favorites is about a little boy that seemed to have a low tolerance for almost everything! When things got more intense than he could bear, he would loudly say with a Kentucky twang - "I just can't STA-a-A-ND it!" hehehe He was a sweet kid. I don't know whatever happened to him.
Like my little friend, I sometimes feel the same way when the weight of my sins hits me all at once. I hate to admit that I sin a lot. I know my sins affect others. I have also felt the sins of others affecting me. God is gracious to give us his love to forgive and be forgiven!
Lord, Thank you for your love and forgiveness. I need to receive it. I need to give it!
Foodie Friday
I won't take complete credit for this recipe. I based it on a spicy Southwest black bean burger recipe from Kim! I took the recipe and made it mine so I could have a meatless meatloaf to serve for my vegan friends at my dinner group. I hope you enjoy it! Duane
Meatless Meatloaf
Ingredients
Ingredients
2 Cans of Black Beans
4 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Powder
A Few Dashes of Your Favorite Hot Sauce (optional)
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Greek Low Fat Yogurt¼ Cup Cilantro
1 Lime, Juiced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 package pre-made Uncle Ben's whole grain brown rice
1 - 2 cups of bread crumbs or panko as needed
Directions
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Start by thoroughly rinsing and draining the black beans. I mean thoroughly! Excess moisture makes it harder to get the consistency you want for this recipe. In a blender or food processor, blend together the beans, garlic, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro and spices. When that's blended dump into a bowl along with the rice, red pepper, and red onion. Stir everything with a wooden spoon until you reach a consistency that enables you to form a loaf. Too soft? Add in bread crumbs or panko – Too Stiff? Add in a bit of water. Shape into a loaf and place in a loaf pan.
Bake for 35 minutes. Do the "clean toothpick" test like you would for brownies. If the toothpick is not clean, bake for another five minutes. Baking times may vary depending on your oven.
After baking, let cook for a short time, then slice like regular meatloaf. You can serve this with fresh guacamole or some fresh salsa. You can also make meatless meatloaf sandwiches!
Other Stuff
My latest medical adventure is a type of vertigo caused by allergies. I was relieved that the issue was something simple, though not necessarily simple to cure. I am taking some new drugs to help this feeling that sometimes wants to make me pass out (like at work the other day!). I am minimizing my driving time until the meds kick in. I teased my friends that I guess I really am the dizzy bitch they think I am! hehehe
I need to focus on getting the house ready for Easter dinner this weekend. It is supposed to rain A LOT in Columbus this weekend. OH well.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Moving on...
Our Daily Bread
How do you move on after a sinful experience or after doing someone wrong or after being totally disobedient to God? People vary on how they handle this, but most withdraw from as many situations as they can. I know that I withdraw from everything except for my job! Even there, I will usually wear headphones as much as possible to minimize contact with other folks!
David was probably the best example of "moving on" that I know of in the Bible. He had some tremendous "highs" in his life. He had some unbelievable "lows". How did he handle the lows? He prayed and fasted and humbled himself before God in hopes that others would not suffer due to his sins. When those consequences were unavoidable, he moved on with his life by worshiping God and getting his life back on track.
Isn't that what we need to do as well?
Lord, I want to move on from my sinful acts. Please forgive me. Please help me forgive myself.
Technology Thursday
I got to play with the new BlackBerry Playbook tablet computer for a little while yesterday. RIM released the device on Tuesday. Overall, it was OK. Here are some observations.
Size and weight:
The size might be a little more convenient for some folks than an iPad. It is about the screen size of a Kindle device, but is a little thicker and heavier than a Kindle. The Playbook feels solid though. It does not feel delicate like a Kindle.
Interface
The Playbook has a new operating system for RIM. It is not bad. I didn't hate the interface even though the "swiping from off the screen" was odd to me. The true multitasking was nice. I think it would take me a while to get used to it all. I loved the calendar and mail interfaces. They did a great job on that.
Processor
This device has a dual core processor, which should smoke the competition. I didn't get that feeling. The performance felt like my iPhone 3GS that is almost two years old. Oh well.
Battery life
My boss said his kids played games on the device and he used it for some stuff. The battery was about 75% depleted the next morning. Not too bad for medium use
My overall impression is that it doesn't suck as bad as many people thought it would. I am not sure it is worth the money. Also, there is not a 3G or 4G version yet -- only a wireless networking version. We will see how that flies.
Other Stuff
I am getting ready for Easter Sunday and dinner at my house. Should be fun.
Not feeling great this week. I am going back to the doctor today. I almost made it through a whole week without a doctor appointment. ;-p
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
How do you move on after a sinful experience or after doing someone wrong or after being totally disobedient to God? People vary on how they handle this, but most withdraw from as many situations as they can. I know that I withdraw from everything except for my job! Even there, I will usually wear headphones as much as possible to minimize contact with other folks!
David was probably the best example of "moving on" that I know of in the Bible. He had some tremendous "highs" in his life. He had some unbelievable "lows". How did he handle the lows? He prayed and fasted and humbled himself before God in hopes that others would not suffer due to his sins. When those consequences were unavoidable, he moved on with his life by worshiping God and getting his life back on track.
Isn't that what we need to do as well?
Lord, I want to move on from my sinful acts. Please forgive me. Please help me forgive myself.
Technology Thursday
I got to play with the new BlackBerry Playbook tablet computer for a little while yesterday. RIM released the device on Tuesday. Overall, it was OK. Here are some observations.
Size and weight:
The size might be a little more convenient for some folks than an iPad. It is about the screen size of a Kindle device, but is a little thicker and heavier than a Kindle. The Playbook feels solid though. It does not feel delicate like a Kindle.
Interface
The Playbook has a new operating system for RIM. It is not bad. I didn't hate the interface even though the "swiping from off the screen" was odd to me. The true multitasking was nice. I think it would take me a while to get used to it all. I loved the calendar and mail interfaces. They did a great job on that.
Processor
This device has a dual core processor, which should smoke the competition. I didn't get that feeling. The performance felt like my iPhone 3GS that is almost two years old. Oh well.
Battery life
My boss said his kids played games on the device and he used it for some stuff. The battery was about 75% depleted the next morning. Not too bad for medium use
My overall impression is that it doesn't suck as bad as many people thought it would. I am not sure it is worth the money. Also, there is not a 3G or 4G version yet -- only a wireless networking version. We will see how that flies.
Other Stuff
I am getting ready for Easter Sunday and dinner at my house. Should be fun.
Not feeling great this week. I am going back to the doctor today. I almost made it through a whole week without a doctor appointment. ;-p
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
What is God's will?
Our Daily Bread
I have been talking to some friends about God's will and about following the simple things in the Bible. Simple, right? NOT! I think the devotional today summarizes what I tried to tell them and what I try to do in my life.
Here is the summary I really appreciated:
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What else do we need to know? Following the things that we know are God's will, like in the paragraph above, leads us down the road that we should be following. Why does it matter where it goes as long as God is leading?
Lord, thank you for clear guidance for a life that is not ordinary!
Lifestyle Change Wednesday
Blah, blah, blah. hehehe I will think of something to write here. For now, I am trying to exercise a little more, as my health allows, and eat better. This is Easter week. Not sure how I will do with that. ;-p
Other Stuff
I had a relaxing evening of going to the movies last night. I saw the movie Hanna. I will review it on Monday.
I did a few things around the house when I got home. I am trying to keep the house clean so I won't have to do as much cleaning this weekend before having guests for Easter dinner. ;-)
God's will is seems like such an elusive thing to me at times. I don't understand how it all fits together with God's will for my life and His will for the lives of others. Life really isn't like the movie The Adjustment Bureau (thank the Chairman!). I will focus on doing the things in the paragraph above. I will see where the road leads and who might accompany me. ;-)
I received my Padres tickets in the mail yesterday. I also figured out that my first day in San Diego next month will be Cinco de Mayo! Should be fun. I also found the SD Bears web site. They have some social events that weekend. Should be a blast. I also have a ticket to the zoo one day.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I have been talking to some friends about God's will and about following the simple things in the Bible. Simple, right? NOT! I think the devotional today summarizes what I tried to tell them and what I try to do in my life.
Here is the summary I really appreciated:
<
What else do we need to know? Following the things that we know are God's will, like in the paragraph above, leads us down the road that we should be following. Why does it matter where it goes as long as God is leading?
Lord, thank you for clear guidance for a life that is not ordinary!
Lifestyle Change Wednesday
Blah, blah, blah. hehehe I will think of something to write here. For now, I am trying to exercise a little more, as my health allows, and eat better. This is Easter week. Not sure how I will do with that. ;-p
Other Stuff
I had a relaxing evening of going to the movies last night. I saw the movie Hanna. I will review it on Monday.
I did a few things around the house when I got home. I am trying to keep the house clean so I won't have to do as much cleaning this weekend before having guests for Easter dinner. ;-)
God's will is seems like such an elusive thing to me at times. I don't understand how it all fits together with God's will for my life and His will for the lives of others. Life really isn't like the movie The Adjustment Bureau (thank the Chairman!). I will focus on doing the things in the paragraph above. I will see where the road leads and who might accompany me. ;-)
I received my Padres tickets in the mail yesterday. I also figured out that my first day in San Diego next month will be Cinco de Mayo! Should be fun. I also found the SD Bears web site. They have some social events that weekend. Should be a blast. I also have a ticket to the zoo one day.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Monday, April 18, 2011
Why is God so good to us?
Our Daily Bread
I have been thinking and praying about God a lot the past two months while taking the Progressive Christianity class at church. Many of the things that I thought about God and Jesus and my relationship with them were questioned. I still struggle with some of the questions. Most were answered during the study.
The goodness of God and his activities in the earth today was one of the topics of discussion. Some folks believe that God set this top in motion and it will spin til it stops. Some folks believe that God is active in each thing that happens on earth. Both views spawn many questions. Like many things in life, I try to take a balanced approach. I will talk more about this stuff tomorrow. More coming on this topic!
Regardless of the view you have of God, God is good! I can be a witness to that in my life! That is the point of the devotional. We all need to be witnesses of God's goodness!
Lord, thank you for being so good to me! I want to be better about telling others.
Movie Monday
I didn't get a chance to see a new movie last week even though I was on vacation the end of the week. My best friend didn't seem interested in going to the movies. There was even a GLBT film festival in St Louis over the weekend. I was dying to go! Oh well.
We watched Easy A on DVD. It was just as much fun the third time around! I like that movie.
I bought some recently released Blurays. The latest Harry Potter movie and the latest Chronicles of Narnia movie are out now. I am sure I will watch then again when I get time.
Hannah is at the top of my list. Not sure I want to see Scream 4 or Rio. Hmmmmm.
Other Stuff
I had a busy afternoon and evening after I returned from St Louis. I ran some errands. Did laundry. Mowed the lawn and worked in the yard. Did a few more things around the house, then went to bed early. Whew!
I found a new quilted comforter for my guest bedroom. I have wanted a new one for several years, but hadn't found anything I really liked. Target had a beautiful green comforter and sham set for less than $100. The most important part is that is matches the curtains and sheets I already have! Woohooo!
I picked up the poster prints I had made at Costco. My best friend took some incredible pictures on our trip to San Francisco last Fall. I had three of them made into posters. I plan to use them on the new art wall in the basement (after I get the wall painted!).
I forgot to mention that I ordered my new furniture for my family room. My couch is about twelve years old (at least) and has seen better days. I am moving it to the basement for the home theater when I get the money to finish the screen and projector project down there. ;-) I can also use that area for my every day lounging since it is warming in the winter and cooler in the summer down there! I also have an extra fridge down there as well. I sort of wish I had a half bath put down there when I had the chance, but I didn't want to spend the money at the time. Oh well.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do... Duane
I have been thinking and praying about God a lot the past two months while taking the Progressive Christianity class at church. Many of the things that I thought about God and Jesus and my relationship with them were questioned. I still struggle with some of the questions. Most were answered during the study.
The goodness of God and his activities in the earth today was one of the topics of discussion. Some folks believe that God set this top in motion and it will spin til it stops. Some folks believe that God is active in each thing that happens on earth. Both views spawn many questions. Like many things in life, I try to take a balanced approach. I will talk more about this stuff tomorrow. More coming on this topic!
Regardless of the view you have of God, God is good! I can be a witness to that in my life! That is the point of the devotional. We all need to be witnesses of God's goodness!
Lord, thank you for being so good to me! I want to be better about telling others.
Movie Monday
I didn't get a chance to see a new movie last week even though I was on vacation the end of the week. My best friend didn't seem interested in going to the movies. There was even a GLBT film festival in St Louis over the weekend. I was dying to go! Oh well.
We watched Easy A on DVD. It was just as much fun the third time around! I like that movie.
I bought some recently released Blurays. The latest Harry Potter movie and the latest Chronicles of Narnia movie are out now. I am sure I will watch then again when I get time.
Hannah is at the top of my list. Not sure I want to see Scream 4 or Rio. Hmmmmm.
Other Stuff
I had a busy afternoon and evening after I returned from St Louis. I ran some errands. Did laundry. Mowed the lawn and worked in the yard. Did a few more things around the house, then went to bed early. Whew!
I found a new quilted comforter for my guest bedroom. I have wanted a new one for several years, but hadn't found anything I really liked. Target had a beautiful green comforter and sham set for less than $100. The most important part is that is matches the curtains and sheets I already have! Woohooo!
I picked up the poster prints I had made at Costco. My best friend took some incredible pictures on our trip to San Francisco last Fall. I had three of them made into posters. I plan to use them on the new art wall in the basement (after I get the wall painted!).
I forgot to mention that I ordered my new furniture for my family room. My couch is about twelve years old (at least) and has seen better days. I am moving it to the basement for the home theater when I get the money to finish the screen and projector project down there. ;-) I can also use that area for my every day lounging since it is warming in the winter and cooler in the summer down there! I also have an extra fridge down there as well. I sort of wish I had a half bath put down there when I had the chance, but I didn't want to spend the money at the time. Oh well.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do... Duane
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Home again...
Our Daily Bread
The passage used in today's devotional has always interested me. How exciting it must have been for the followers of Jesus to praise his name as he triumphantly entered Jerusalem, the capital of Jewish religion and culture in that period! So many folks heard of Jesus for the first time that day!
What are we doing to raise his name in praise and adoration today? How about this week during all the Holy Week activities? Let us all do our best to raise his name in praise each and every day in our own special way!
Lord, thank you for the gift of your Son. Thank you for the way he lives in my heart!
On Location -- St Louis
I had a great time in St Louis this weekend. Thank you again, my best friend! We had dinner with friends last night and then went to the two "bear" bars in St Louis. I have to admit that I was in a drinking mood and made the most of the evening! We rolled into my best friend's apartment with a bag of White Castle burgers about midnight. I had to be up by 4:30 or so to get ready for my flight home! I managed to set two alarms on my iPhone to awaken me. I am not sure how I did that in my drunken state. OH well. My BFF is going to ship a few things to me that I couldn't fit in my suit case. I didn't buy too much stuff, but it was just enough that I needed to ship a few things.
I met some new folks last night at the bars. Hung out with some old friends. It was nice.
I didn't meet as many people on the flights back today. I was tired and decided to sleep on the flights home. It was odd that US Airways routed me through Charlotte each trip instead of the originally scheduled city of Philadelphia. Very odd. I made it home in record time today. Can't complain about that!
I started some laundry when I got home and wrote this blog entry. Not sure what this evening will bring!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
The passage used in today's devotional has always interested me. How exciting it must have been for the followers of Jesus to praise his name as he triumphantly entered Jerusalem, the capital of Jewish religion and culture in that period! So many folks heard of Jesus for the first time that day!
What are we doing to raise his name in praise and adoration today? How about this week during all the Holy Week activities? Let us all do our best to raise his name in praise each and every day in our own special way!
Lord, thank you for the gift of your Son. Thank you for the way he lives in my heart!
On Location -- St Louis
I had a great time in St Louis this weekend. Thank you again, my best friend! We had dinner with friends last night and then went to the two "bear" bars in St Louis. I have to admit that I was in a drinking mood and made the most of the evening! We rolled into my best friend's apartment with a bag of White Castle burgers about midnight. I had to be up by 4:30 or so to get ready for my flight home! I managed to set two alarms on my iPhone to awaken me. I am not sure how I did that in my drunken state. OH well. My BFF is going to ship a few things to me that I couldn't fit in my suit case. I didn't buy too much stuff, but it was just enough that I needed to ship a few things.
I met some new folks last night at the bars. Hung out with some old friends. It was nice.
I didn't meet as many people on the flights back today. I was tired and decided to sleep on the flights home. It was odd that US Airways routed me through Charlotte each trip instead of the originally scheduled city of Philadelphia. Very odd. I made it home in record time today. Can't complain about that!
I started some laundry when I got home and wrote this blog entry. Not sure what this evening will bring!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Saturday, April 16, 2011
A life without regrets
Our Daily Bread
I am a very goal-oriented person. One of my life goals is to live my life without regrets. What a lofty goal! It is not an easy or even reasonably retainable goal, but it is something that I can try to do one decision at a time. One day at a time.
The psalmist talked about this. I never realized that Psalm 32 was talking about living life without regrets. It was clear to me for the first time when I read the passage again this morning.
So as I see it there are three ways to live life without regrets: make good decisions, have an appropriate attitude, and be contrite in asking God for forgiveness and in forgiving yourself. What do I mean about three ways? The first way is pretty obvious -- making the right decisions. The main problem is that the right decision may not always be obvious when we need to make it! ;-( Prayer and following God's leadership can help. The second way is attitude,. What does that mean? Having a God-like attitude towards others helps us treat folks the way they should be treated. It also helps us see things in the proper light. Regretting doing something that you never should have done is not a good thing! Lastly, through forgiveness. I had some regrets about things I did, but God forgave me and helped me forgive myself. That didn't make the actions and the repercussions go away. It helped me deal with them and not let them drag down the remainder of my not so ordinary life!
What things are weight you down? Got regrets? I pray that you will deal with them -- and also plan a strategy to not have any more!
Lord, thank you for helping me deal with my regrets. I praise you for your lovingkindness!
On Location - St Louis
I am enjoying my visit with my best friend. We had a low key day yesterday, but still managed a little excitement. My best friend told me to let him know if I saw him acting a little differently than normal due to new medications. OK. I can do that. We pulled into a Steak N Shake for breakfast. He started cussing up a storm. I was like "Hello, acting differently now!" HEHEHE Then I saw what he saw. There was water leaking from the overhead light! Yikes! We headed to the car dealer after breakfast, though we almost ran off the road when he tried to catch even more water while he was driving. yikes! The dealer figured out the problem quickly. We waited around for an oil change. That gave us a chance to look at the new Dodges and Jeeps. We both like looking at new cars. He didn't buy one, but really liked the new Compass. ;-)
We hit the casino for a little while. I was entertained for about 45 minutes and lost about $15. I am so cheap! hehehe We went to Costco and the mall. I found good deals on the shoes I wanted. Woohoooo! I needed new brown dress shoes and a new pair of walking shoes for summer. Double woohoooo! ;-)
We had a quiet evening at his place watching TV on his Tivo and watched the movie Easyi A. What a cute movie!
Not sure what today will bring. It is still early! hehehe
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I am a very goal-oriented person. One of my life goals is to live my life without regrets. What a lofty goal! It is not an easy or even reasonably retainable goal, but it is something that I can try to do one decision at a time. One day at a time.
The psalmist talked about this. I never realized that Psalm 32 was talking about living life without regrets. It was clear to me for the first time when I read the passage again this morning.
So as I see it there are three ways to live life without regrets: make good decisions, have an appropriate attitude, and be contrite in asking God for forgiveness and in forgiving yourself. What do I mean about three ways? The first way is pretty obvious -- making the right decisions. The main problem is that the right decision may not always be obvious when we need to make it! ;-( Prayer and following God's leadership can help. The second way is attitude,. What does that mean? Having a God-like attitude towards others helps us treat folks the way they should be treated. It also helps us see things in the proper light. Regretting doing something that you never should have done is not a good thing! Lastly, through forgiveness. I had some regrets about things I did, but God forgave me and helped me forgive myself. That didn't make the actions and the repercussions go away. It helped me deal with them and not let them drag down the remainder of my not so ordinary life!
What things are weight you down? Got regrets? I pray that you will deal with them -- and also plan a strategy to not have any more!
Lord, thank you for helping me deal with my regrets. I praise you for your lovingkindness!
On Location - St Louis
I am enjoying my visit with my best friend. We had a low key day yesterday, but still managed a little excitement. My best friend told me to let him know if I saw him acting a little differently than normal due to new medications. OK. I can do that. We pulled into a Steak N Shake for breakfast. He started cussing up a storm. I was like "Hello, acting differently now!" HEHEHE Then I saw what he saw. There was water leaking from the overhead light! Yikes! We headed to the car dealer after breakfast, though we almost ran off the road when he tried to catch even more water while he was driving. yikes! The dealer figured out the problem quickly. We waited around for an oil change. That gave us a chance to look at the new Dodges and Jeeps. We both like looking at new cars. He didn't buy one, but really liked the new Compass. ;-)
We hit the casino for a little while. I was entertained for about 45 minutes and lost about $15. I am so cheap! hehehe We went to Costco and the mall. I found good deals on the shoes I wanted. Woohoooo! I needed new brown dress shoes and a new pair of walking shoes for summer. Double woohoooo! ;-)
We had a quiet evening at his place watching TV on his Tivo and watched the movie Easyi A. What a cute movie!
Not sure what today will bring. It is still early! hehehe
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Friday, April 15, 2011
Not according to plan
Our Daily Bread
Anyone who knows me realizes that I am a planner. I don't HAVE to plan everything, but I LIKE to plan everything so there is a better chance of the desired outcome. I finally figured out that many folks don't have a desired outcome, so planning is useless! hehehe
It can be very frustrating when you have a desired outcome from a day, a week, a vacation, a date, relationship, etc., only to have it not work out the way you want. How do you deal with those cases? With frustration and more than a little disappointment? I know I don't deal with them well. I get frustrated and disappointed. Sometimes hurt and angry. Sometimes indifferent and uncaring.
The point of the devotional is that God is there when our human plans don't work out to lead us with the things that he knows are best for us. I am not saying that God has a master plan that we are all predestined to follow. I am saying that God had some "human life best practices" can give us much better results than doing things our own way! hehehe
Lord, I want to do things your way. Make you first in my life. Love others as I would be loved.
On Location - St Louis
We had a nice afternoon and evening on Thursday. The weather continued to be very nice so we enjoyed some time outside. My best friend wanted to look at cars, so we visited some car lots. I like doing that stuff too. We had a nice supper and ran some errands. We missed out on connecting with our buddy. I am sure we will hang out more today.
We plan to go to the casino closest to my best friend's place today to hang out for a while. Play some slots. Come on baby! Daddy needs a new pair of shoes! hehehe
Not sure what we will encounter tonight. We might go out or we might go to a movie. There is a GLBT movie festival going on this weekend that looked fun. I am not sure my best friend would care for that very much. We will see.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Anyone who knows me realizes that I am a planner. I don't HAVE to plan everything, but I LIKE to plan everything so there is a better chance of the desired outcome. I finally figured out that many folks don't have a desired outcome, so planning is useless! hehehe
It can be very frustrating when you have a desired outcome from a day, a week, a vacation, a date, relationship, etc., only to have it not work out the way you want. How do you deal with those cases? With frustration and more than a little disappointment? I know I don't deal with them well. I get frustrated and disappointed. Sometimes hurt and angry. Sometimes indifferent and uncaring.
The point of the devotional is that God is there when our human plans don't work out to lead us with the things that he knows are best for us. I am not saying that God has a master plan that we are all predestined to follow. I am saying that God had some "human life best practices" can give us much better results than doing things our own way! hehehe
Lord, I want to do things your way. Make you first in my life. Love others as I would be loved.
On Location - St Louis
We had a nice afternoon and evening on Thursday. The weather continued to be very nice so we enjoyed some time outside. My best friend wanted to look at cars, so we visited some car lots. I like doing that stuff too. We had a nice supper and ran some errands. We missed out on connecting with our buddy. I am sure we will hang out more today.
We plan to go to the casino closest to my best friend's place today to hang out for a while. Play some slots. Come on baby! Daddy needs a new pair of shoes! hehehe
Not sure what we will encounter tonight. We might go out or we might go to a movie. There is a GLBT movie festival going on this weekend that looked fun. I am not sure my best friend would care for that very much. We will see.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Silent Love
Our Daily Bread
I was in college when the first wave of Contemporary Christian artists released their first albums. The music had a beat and sort of sounded like what was on the radio. Before those albums, most gospel music was quartet music! One of my favorite artists was Russ Taff. His song Silent Love talked about the message in today's devotional -- God's constand and everlasting love for us.
I like to trust God as much as I can in almost a child-like fashion. I don't always do that with every part of my life, but I try. Knowing and believing that God knows me and cares about me and wants the best for me is comforting at worst and extremely overwhelming at times!
Lord, thank you for loving a sinner such as I. Thank you!
On Location - St Louis, MO
I had an interesting day of flights to St Louis! I talked to some new interesting people (you know how shy I am!). One guy almost missed his plane because we enjoyed each others' company so much! It was a nice day. I had a nice evening with my best friend and another friend from St Louis. We went to dinner and hung out. I was pretty tired when I got back to my best friend's place. I fell fast asleep!
We had breakfast at my favorite St Louis breakfast place this morning, then ran some errands. Lots of fun and joking around with the guys. We are supposed to run some more errands tonight and hang out for supper.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I was in college when the first wave of Contemporary Christian artists released their first albums. The music had a beat and sort of sounded like what was on the radio. Before those albums, most gospel music was quartet music! One of my favorite artists was Russ Taff. His song Silent Love talked about the message in today's devotional -- God's constand and everlasting love for us.
I like to trust God as much as I can in almost a child-like fashion. I don't always do that with every part of my life, but I try. Knowing and believing that God knows me and cares about me and wants the best for me is comforting at worst and extremely overwhelming at times!
Lord, thank you for loving a sinner such as I. Thank you!
On Location - St Louis, MO
I had an interesting day of flights to St Louis! I talked to some new interesting people (you know how shy I am!). One guy almost missed his plane because we enjoyed each others' company so much! It was a nice day. I had a nice evening with my best friend and another friend from St Louis. We went to dinner and hung out. I was pretty tired when I got back to my best friend's place. I fell fast asleep!
We had breakfast at my favorite St Louis breakfast place this morning, then ran some errands. Lots of fun and joking around with the guys. We are supposed to run some more errands tonight and hang out for supper.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
On the Road again....
Oh, gosh, how I need to be on the road again! I am glad to get out of town for the weekend!
Our Daily Bread
Remember the TV ad "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"? hehehe After reading the devotional today, that is apparently not so! ha! Yes, I really did know that. I am not that goofy!
I have a mind full of silly details. There are some things that just make sense or don't make sense that I remember. Sometimes there is a decent reason for me to remember. Sometimes it is just useless information that takes up brain cells. That was a slow way of introducing one of the concepts of the devotional -- God knows everything about you even down to the hairs on your head! Granted, that is not so hard for some of us folliclely challenged folks!
Seriously. God does care. He cares enough to remember the details.
Lord, thank you for knowing and remembering me -- out of all the billions of people that have ever lived.
Lifestyle Wednesday
I have no clue what to write about in this section any more! I will do some research and develop a more structured approach. I need one! I need to write more than:
my weight went up a little
my weight went down a little
I ate too much
I didn't eat write.
I think that sums it up. I will do better.
Other Stuff
I'm leavin' on a jet plane! Look for some pictures and stories from my trip to St Louis this weekend.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do....
Our Daily Bread
Remember the TV ad "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"? hehehe After reading the devotional today, that is apparently not so! ha! Yes, I really did know that. I am not that goofy!
I have a mind full of silly details. There are some things that just make sense or don't make sense that I remember. Sometimes there is a decent reason for me to remember. Sometimes it is just useless information that takes up brain cells. That was a slow way of introducing one of the concepts of the devotional -- God knows everything about you even down to the hairs on your head! Granted, that is not so hard for some of us folliclely challenged folks!
Seriously. God does care. He cares enough to remember the details.
Lord, thank you for knowing and remembering me -- out of all the billions of people that have ever lived.
Lifestyle Wednesday
I have no clue what to write about in this section any more! I will do some research and develop a more structured approach. I need one! I need to write more than:
my weight went up a little
my weight went down a little
I ate too much
I didn't eat write.
I think that sums it up. I will do better.
Other Stuff
I'm leavin' on a jet plane! Look for some pictures and stories from my trip to St Louis this weekend.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do....
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
I feel good.....dah dah dah dah dah dah dot
The title of this posting refers to me. I have been sort of sick the past week or two. I am finally starting to feel better. The past two nights have been rough. Not much sleep. Lots of time in the bathroom late at night. Feeling like the whale that had a grown man inside him. Ugh... Feeling much better today. Thank God!
Our Daily Bread
Since I am a computer guy, I usually tell stories that relate to my experiences. The example of the road signs in today's devotional remind me of a friend who had a laptop on a business trip. He forgot his charger, so he did his best to make it through the short trip without having to buy one. His laptop gave him a warning when the battery level went down to 30% remaining, then 20%, then 10%... You know where this is going, right? He did pretty well until the end of his important business presentation. The laptop died. He had no backup printouts. How embarrassing!
God can send people, places and things to warn us of things that we need to address. Do you listen? I know I don't always!
Lord, I want to listen to the warning messages that you put in my way. Thank you for watching out for me!
Teachings Tuesday
The last night of the Progressive Christianity class was a little odd. Only two of us showed up. Some where out of town. Some just couldn't make it. EP and I watched the video Jesus Christ for the Non-religious. I am not quite sure what I think of it all. Yes, it all made perfect logical sense in a historical framework. I still did not like it that much. I guess I am a "My God is an awesome God. Why can't I believe some unbelievable things about him (her, etc)? Yes, the Old Testament is filled with awful horrors of war and violence. Yes, there are some traditions or sacraments that I find horrifying (like a blood sacrifice). The bottom line for me is that there are some very basic things that Jesus taught us. If we focus on those things, we have it covered. I guess I am a simple man in some ways.
Other Stuff
Like I said above, I had a rough couple of nights. Feeling much better. I leave for St Louis tomorrow for a long weekend of fun.
There will be some special editions from St Louis, so keep your eyes peeled!
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Our Daily Bread
Since I am a computer guy, I usually tell stories that relate to my experiences. The example of the road signs in today's devotional remind me of a friend who had a laptop on a business trip. He forgot his charger, so he did his best to make it through the short trip without having to buy one. His laptop gave him a warning when the battery level went down to 30% remaining, then 20%, then 10%... You know where this is going, right? He did pretty well until the end of his important business presentation. The laptop died. He had no backup printouts. How embarrassing!
God can send people, places and things to warn us of things that we need to address. Do you listen? I know I don't always!
Lord, I want to listen to the warning messages that you put in my way. Thank you for watching out for me!
Teachings Tuesday
The last night of the Progressive Christianity class was a little odd. Only two of us showed up. Some where out of town. Some just couldn't make it. EP and I watched the video Jesus Christ for the Non-religious. I am not quite sure what I think of it all. Yes, it all made perfect logical sense in a historical framework. I still did not like it that much. I guess I am a "My God is an awesome God. Why can't I believe some unbelievable things about him (her, etc)? Yes, the Old Testament is filled with awful horrors of war and violence. Yes, there are some traditions or sacraments that I find horrifying (like a blood sacrifice). The bottom line for me is that there are some very basic things that Jesus taught us. If we focus on those things, we have it covered. I guess I am a simple man in some ways.
Other Stuff
Like I said above, I had a rough couple of nights. Feeling much better. I leave for St Louis tomorrow for a long weekend of fun.
There will be some special editions from St Louis, so keep your eyes peeled!
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Monday, April 11, 2011
Just a penny?
Our Daily Bread
I love the story of David and Goliath! The devotional gave that scripture passage as the basis for the lesson. I have to admit that there are two sayings in this devotional that struck me.
It’s easy to feel like a penny in a trillion-dollar deficit.
Wow! How many minutes, hours, days, weeks, or years have you felt like this? As children of God, we don't have to feel this way! Remember David when he went off to fight Goliath? That leads to the saying.
Courage will follow when faith takes the lead.
Double Wow! hehehe How many times have you felt the courage of God surging through your body because your faith has taken the lead in your life? I have only felt it a few times. I need to work on that some more! I hope you will, too!
Lord, I want to have faith... and the courage that will follow!
Movie Monday
I didn't have time to see any movies at the theater this week. I will write about some movies I saw or saw again in the past few weeks. I had a religious theme (or sort of a religious them for these flix!
Angles and Demons
I got a deal on the Bluray disk for this movie. I liked it the first time and I still liked it the second time I saw it! Suspense. Plot twists. Lots of cars rushing around the city! hehehe It was interesting.
I give this movie two bear paws.
The Rite
I remember seeing the previews for this movie, but it sailed past the regular theaters to the dollar theaters. That is where I saw it. The main attraction was Anthony Hopkins as the lead actor. He did a great job with the material he had to work with. hehehe In short, the story line is about a young priest in training that doesn't really believe in what he is selling! The seminary sent him for exorcism training at the Vatican. Anthony Hopkins plays a priest that does exorcisms and eventually needs one! Interesting.
I give this movie two bear paws as well.
Other Stuff
I had a great time with my dinner group last night. They are such a great group of folks. The East theme went over well as did the decorations (see below). Thanks to Yang for the idea of using the Peeps!
I have a short week at work before flying to St Louis on Wednesday. I look forward to getting away for a few days. My best friend and I have already made a few plans for the weekend. I hope to see some other long time friends on Saturday.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I love the story of David and Goliath! The devotional gave that scripture passage as the basis for the lesson. I have to admit that there are two sayings in this devotional that struck me.
It’s easy to feel like a penny in a trillion-dollar deficit.
Wow! How many minutes, hours, days, weeks, or years have you felt like this? As children of God, we don't have to feel this way! Remember David when he went off to fight Goliath? That leads to the saying.
Courage will follow when faith takes the lead.
Double Wow! hehehe How many times have you felt the courage of God surging through your body because your faith has taken the lead in your life? I have only felt it a few times. I need to work on that some more! I hope you will, too!
Lord, I want to have faith... and the courage that will follow!
Movie Monday
I didn't have time to see any movies at the theater this week. I will write about some movies I saw or saw again in the past few weeks. I had a religious theme (or sort of a religious them for these flix!
Angles and Demons
I got a deal on the Bluray disk for this movie. I liked it the first time and I still liked it the second time I saw it! Suspense. Plot twists. Lots of cars rushing around the city! hehehe It was interesting.
I give this movie two bear paws.
The Rite
I remember seeing the previews for this movie, but it sailed past the regular theaters to the dollar theaters. That is where I saw it. The main attraction was Anthony Hopkins as the lead actor. He did a great job with the material he had to work with. hehehe In short, the story line is about a young priest in training that doesn't really believe in what he is selling! The seminary sent him for exorcism training at the Vatican. Anthony Hopkins plays a priest that does exorcisms and eventually needs one! Interesting.
I give this movie two bear paws as well.
Other Stuff
I had a great time with my dinner group last night. They are such a great group of folks. The East theme went over well as did the decorations (see below). Thanks to Yang for the idea of using the Peeps!
I have a short week at work before flying to St Louis on Wednesday. I look forward to getting away for a few days. My best friend and I have already made a few plans for the weekend. I hope to see some other long time friends on Saturday.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Not one long church service...
Our Daily Bread
I thought the story of the young boy's version of heaven was a hoot! One LOOOOOOOONNNGGG worship service lead by his dad! hehehe
The children of God talk a lot about heaven. We have some descriptions of what heaven is like. We also have some writings about how things will work there. I agree with the author that we should never, EVER be bored!
While it is nice to think of heaven, I prefer to work towards making my own heaven on earth! Yes it is difficult sometimes to think of this earth being like the writings in Revelation. I think heaven on earth is more an attitude of gratitude and worship each moment while we are awake. Could there be some kind of heaven for you on this earth? What will you do to work towards that?
Lord, thank you for the idea of heaven for eternity for your children. I want to do my best to make each day here on earth as heavenly as possible!
Psalm Sunday
I keep forgetting my Bible study lessons when I read the psalms. In the Old Testament, God's presence or blessing was often demonstrated by victories over enemies. A crazy example was a battle where the Hebrews won the battle as long as Moses held up his arms as a symbol for God to come down and be with them. When Moses' arms got tired, he had men assist him keeping his arms up so they could continue the victory. The psalm to day has a similar mixture of praise and prayer for deliverance as many of the psalms we have read so far.
Psalm 9
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.
1 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right and my cause,
sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.
7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12 For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
13 LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may declare your praises
in the gates of Daughter Zion,
and there rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The LORD is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.[c]
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,
all the nations that forget God.
18 But God will never forget the needy;
the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
19 Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror, LORD;
let the nations know they are only mortal.
Other Stuff
I had a busy Saturday. I ran some errands. I picked up some cool plants at Costco for my breezeway. I took lunch to a sick friend. I had another friend taste the meatless meatloaf to get some ideas for perfecting the recipe. I finished most of the preparation for hosting the dinner group. A friend dropped by some food for the group. It was a good day.
I will make the ham and meatless meatloaf this afternoon. I will post pics of the table decorations. Thanks, Yang, for a cute idea!
I have a short work week because of my trip to St Louis on Wednesday. Watch out STL! Duanebear is coming back to town! ;-) I scheduled a trip to Las Vegas during Labor Day week. I used my frequent flier miles on Delta for the flight. Woohoooo! I booked a hotel that was a little more expensive than I planned because I wanted to stay in the pyramid (Luxor). It should be nice. It wasn't horribly expensive. I am checking out shows now. It is a little early to get tickets to most of them now. I would also like to visit the Hoover Dam this time as well. Maybe the Grand Canyon again.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I thought the story of the young boy's version of heaven was a hoot! One LOOOOOOOONNNGGG worship service lead by his dad! hehehe
The children of God talk a lot about heaven. We have some descriptions of what heaven is like. We also have some writings about how things will work there. I agree with the author that we should never, EVER be bored!
While it is nice to think of heaven, I prefer to work towards making my own heaven on earth! Yes it is difficult sometimes to think of this earth being like the writings in Revelation. I think heaven on earth is more an attitude of gratitude and worship each moment while we are awake. Could there be some kind of heaven for you on this earth? What will you do to work towards that?
Lord, thank you for the idea of heaven for eternity for your children. I want to do my best to make each day here on earth as heavenly as possible!
Psalm Sunday
I keep forgetting my Bible study lessons when I read the psalms. In the Old Testament, God's presence or blessing was often demonstrated by victories over enemies. A crazy example was a battle where the Hebrews won the battle as long as Moses held up his arms as a symbol for God to come down and be with them. When Moses' arms got tired, he had men assist him keeping his arms up so they could continue the victory. The psalm to day has a similar mixture of praise and prayer for deliverance as many of the psalms we have read so far.
Psalm 9
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.
1 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right and my cause,
sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.
7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12 For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
13 LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may declare your praises
in the gates of Daughter Zion,
and there rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The LORD is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.[c]
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,
all the nations that forget God.
18 But God will never forget the needy;
the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
19 Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror, LORD;
let the nations know they are only mortal.
Other Stuff
I had a busy Saturday. I ran some errands. I picked up some cool plants at Costco for my breezeway. I took lunch to a sick friend. I had another friend taste the meatless meatloaf to get some ideas for perfecting the recipe. I finished most of the preparation for hosting the dinner group. A friend dropped by some food for the group. It was a good day.
I will make the ham and meatless meatloaf this afternoon. I will post pics of the table decorations. Thanks, Yang, for a cute idea!
I have a short work week because of my trip to St Louis on Wednesday. Watch out STL! Duanebear is coming back to town! ;-) I scheduled a trip to Las Vegas during Labor Day week. I used my frequent flier miles on Delta for the flight. Woohoooo! I booked a hotel that was a little more expensive than I planned because I wanted to stay in the pyramid (Luxor). It should be nice. It wasn't horribly expensive. I am checking out shows now. It is a little early to get tickets to most of them now. I would also like to visit the Hoover Dam this time as well. Maybe the Grand Canyon again.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Bel Bows down? Really?
Our Daily Bread
When I first read the title of today's devotional, I thought it was baby talk! Bel bows down? Translated to English as "elbows down" or how my siblings used to remind themselves to keep their elbows off the dinner table! hehehe
I loved the theme of the devotional. I have so many friends that need to see this. Who am I kidding? I NEED TO SEE THIS DEVOTIONAL! Ha! There have been so many times in my life that I let my worries and cares drag me down and affect my health. I am normally an outgoing and friendly man. I can usually make people laugh or smile with a witty saying or a goofy grin. It is a gift! When I let my worries and cares weigh me down, I feel like I can hardly move. The real Duane is less than ordinary at that point!
The last paragraph is great:
<>
Lord, I want to be strong for you by letting you carry all my worries and cares.
Simply Saturday
Wow, what a week! Several doctor visits. Intense days at work trying to figure out problems. Being there for some friends that have fallen on hard times and need support. Talk about needing the devotional today! Wow!
I spent last night getting some things ready for hosting the dinner group. I also tried the meatless meatloaf recipe. It wasn't bad at all, but it needed something? Mango chutney? Ketchup? Salsa? A little sea salt helped. Not sure what else to try. Here is what it looked like out of the oven. It actually looked and cut like a meatloaf without the grease of course! I sent my hero a text to ask her opinion. The dish is definitely a "go" for Sunday night!
I will finish my cleaning and decorating today. I told a friend about my multi-color sponges and flower combinations. He suggested adding some different colors of Peeps to the decorations as well! It will look very cute.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
When I first read the title of today's devotional, I thought it was baby talk! Bel bows down? Translated to English as "elbows down" or how my siblings used to remind themselves to keep their elbows off the dinner table! hehehe
I loved the theme of the devotional. I have so many friends that need to see this. Who am I kidding? I NEED TO SEE THIS DEVOTIONAL! Ha! There have been so many times in my life that I let my worries and cares drag me down and affect my health. I am normally an outgoing and friendly man. I can usually make people laugh or smile with a witty saying or a goofy grin. It is a gift! When I let my worries and cares weigh me down, I feel like I can hardly move. The real Duane is less than ordinary at that point!
The last paragraph is great:
<
Lord, I want to be strong for you by letting you carry all my worries and cares.
Simply Saturday
Wow, what a week! Several doctor visits. Intense days at work trying to figure out problems. Being there for some friends that have fallen on hard times and need support. Talk about needing the devotional today! Wow!
I spent last night getting some things ready for hosting the dinner group. I also tried the meatless meatloaf recipe. It wasn't bad at all, but it needed something? Mango chutney? Ketchup? Salsa? A little sea salt helped. Not sure what else to try. Here is what it looked like out of the oven. It actually looked and cut like a meatloaf without the grease of course! I sent my hero a text to ask her opinion. The dish is definitely a "go" for Sunday night!
I will finish my cleaning and decorating today. I told a friend about my multi-color sponges and flower combinations. He suggested adding some different colors of Peeps to the decorations as well! It will look very cute.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Friday, April 8, 2011
I just don't get it!
Our Daily Bread
I was explaining something to a friend the other day. He didn't understand why his roommate "just doesn't get it" most of the time. I explained that everyone is wired a little differently. There are things that are obvious to you and me that are oblivious to others! I hate it when that happens!
The devotional today talks about something similar. There are many times when the world doesn't understand why the children of God are kind, loving, attend church, and give of themselves to others. That is not the norm! As children of God, we are not the norm. Thank God! What is God calling you to do that is outside the norms of this world?
Lord, I want to be extraordinary in your eyes!
Foodie Friday
I am making my grandmother's baked ham recipe for my dinner group on Sunday night. I had to call my aunt to find out a detail or two that I couldn't remember. I haven't made this ham recipe since I was in college!
Grandma's baked ham
semi-boneless ham (can also use boneless)
brown sugar
whole cloves
pineapple slices
Preheat over to 325 degrees. Place ham in a large baking pan. With a large knife, score the ham vertically and horizontally with 1/4" cuts. It should look like a tic-tac-toe board when you are done. Carefully use the whole cloves to secure the pineapple slices to the ham. Gently pour the brown sugar all over the ham and pat it gently. Bake covered at 325 for 20 minutes per pound of ham. You can periodically baste the ham with the melted brown sugar if you like. Remove the cover for the last 15 minutes.
I will also be making a meatless meatloaf for my friend that gave up meat for Lent. I plan to take her spicy black bean burger recipe and converit to a meatless meatloaf recipe. I will post it after I test my recipe. ;-)
Other Stuff
I was disappointed at the dermatologist office yesterday morning. I prepared myself to start a systemic medicine for my psoriasis. I found out that I could not take ANY systemic medications for my condition due to the fact that I had lymphoma when I was younger. Even though I celebrated 25 years of being healed last Friday, I am not eligible. Oh well. Back to lotions and creams. Yuck...
I am in "wait and heal" mode with my eyes. The cataract is already starting to grow on my left eye just two months after the surgery. I hope to have the cataract surgery this year since I have already paid out almost all of my maximum out of pocket already! It is only April! I will keep plugging away at stuff. I am very thankful for my job and for my health.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I was explaining something to a friend the other day. He didn't understand why his roommate "just doesn't get it" most of the time. I explained that everyone is wired a little differently. There are things that are obvious to you and me that are oblivious to others! I hate it when that happens!
The devotional today talks about something similar. There are many times when the world doesn't understand why the children of God are kind, loving, attend church, and give of themselves to others. That is not the norm! As children of God, we are not the norm. Thank God! What is God calling you to do that is outside the norms of this world?
Lord, I want to be extraordinary in your eyes!
Foodie Friday
I am making my grandmother's baked ham recipe for my dinner group on Sunday night. I had to call my aunt to find out a detail or two that I couldn't remember. I haven't made this ham recipe since I was in college!
Grandma's baked ham
semi-boneless ham (can also use boneless)
brown sugar
whole cloves
pineapple slices
Preheat over to 325 degrees. Place ham in a large baking pan. With a large knife, score the ham vertically and horizontally with 1/4" cuts. It should look like a tic-tac-toe board when you are done. Carefully use the whole cloves to secure the pineapple slices to the ham. Gently pour the brown sugar all over the ham and pat it gently. Bake covered at 325 for 20 minutes per pound of ham. You can periodically baste the ham with the melted brown sugar if you like. Remove the cover for the last 15 minutes.
I will also be making a meatless meatloaf for my friend that gave up meat for Lent. I plan to take her spicy black bean burger recipe and converit to a meatless meatloaf recipe. I will post it after I test my recipe. ;-)
Other Stuff
I was disappointed at the dermatologist office yesterday morning. I prepared myself to start a systemic medicine for my psoriasis. I found out that I could not take ANY systemic medications for my condition due to the fact that I had lymphoma when I was younger. Even though I celebrated 25 years of being healed last Friday, I am not eligible. Oh well. Back to lotions and creams. Yuck...
I am in "wait and heal" mode with my eyes. The cataract is already starting to grow on my left eye just two months after the surgery. I hope to have the cataract surgery this year since I have already paid out almost all of my maximum out of pocket already! It is only April! I will keep plugging away at stuff. I am very thankful for my job and for my health.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Superstar!
Our Daily Bread
Remember the silly movie about the high school girl with big dreams of being a Superstar? hehehe Today's devotional is nothing like that at all! ;-)
The devotional is about how some Christians during Paul's time made a big deal of who they learned from or baptized from or worshiped with. "I am of Paul". "I am of Apollos". Nice. Paul gently (and not so gently at times) reminded them that this was not important. He emphasized that each person has a role in God's plan. Paul sowed the seed. Apollos watered. God granted the harvest!
I thought it was cool for us all to remember our place in this world. I also thought that it is important not to lift up others inappropriately. I realized that I can do a little superior dance in my head sometimes when I think about the ministers at my church and the church itself. We are not superior just because we include folks. We are doing what God commanded.
Lord, help me see myself and others through your eyes. Serving you is the ultimate goal!
Other Stuff
I waited until late afternoon to write this entry. I finished my testing at the cardiologist and had my eye doctor appointment. All went well. The cardiologist said my heart and other stuff he checked looked good for a man my age. That still doesn't explain the symptoms I have been feeling. I will figure out what to do next. The eye doctor said we are playing the waiting game now with my eyes. I go back in three months after giving them both time to heal. Patience is not my strong suit... hehehe I will be patient.
I will be in St Louis visiting my best friend by this time next week. Woohooo! I soooooo need to get away from Cbus!
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Remember the silly movie about the high school girl with big dreams of being a Superstar? hehehe Today's devotional is nothing like that at all! ;-)
The devotional is about how some Christians during Paul's time made a big deal of who they learned from or baptized from or worshiped with. "I am of Paul". "I am of Apollos". Nice. Paul gently (and not so gently at times) reminded them that this was not important. He emphasized that each person has a role in God's plan. Paul sowed the seed. Apollos watered. God granted the harvest!
I thought it was cool for us all to remember our place in this world. I also thought that it is important not to lift up others inappropriately. I realized that I can do a little superior dance in my head sometimes when I think about the ministers at my church and the church itself. We are not superior just because we include folks. We are doing what God commanded.
Lord, help me see myself and others through your eyes. Serving you is the ultimate goal!
Other Stuff
I waited until late afternoon to write this entry. I finished my testing at the cardiologist and had my eye doctor appointment. All went well. The cardiologist said my heart and other stuff he checked looked good for a man my age. That still doesn't explain the symptoms I have been feeling. I will figure out what to do next. The eye doctor said we are playing the waiting game now with my eyes. I go back in three months after giving them both time to heal. Patience is not my strong suit... hehehe I will be patient.
I will be in St Louis visiting my best friend by this time next week. Woohooo! I soooooo need to get away from Cbus!
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Fast food...
Our Daily Bread
The devotional today reminded me how the eating habits of Americans changed during my generation. Saying things like "my generation" make me feel so old! hehehe Americans used to cook all of their meals at home and eat with the family. It was rare for a family to eat out at a restaurant. Eating out was eating a meal at church or a relative's house!
That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. The bad thing is fast food. Not that it can be unhealthy if eaten in large quantities, but rather it removes the savoring of food and family time (regardless of your chosen "family"). We eat on the run so we can make our next rehearsal or meeting or practice. Do you know of times that you took time to savor the food and the people you were eating with? I have very fond memories of sharing meals with close friends!
Taking time to savor our relationship with God is even more important. We can make our spiritual food like fast food -- eating it quickly alone and not savoring it with friends! This topic and my approach leads into the section below. Read on!
Lord, I want to take time to savor your Word. To let is permeate my being. To appreciate you and your love.
Teaching Tuesday
The last chapter in our class "Embracing an Adult Faith" by Marcus Borg is about community. The questions were pretty easy for me this week.
Where have you experienced a Spirit-centered community?
I have been fortunate to experience lots of communities, some Spirit-centered, most not. I have experienced several Spirit-centered communities since attending King Avenue UMC the past 3.5 years. It is incredible to make friends with folks that you barely noticed in the pews since the church is sort of large. Retaining those friendships after the small group or class is over is even better!
How do you experience it today?
I just finished a small group studying this book. I plan to start a new group in the next few weeks. I also volunteered to lead a group this Fall. We will see how that goes.
What are you looking for from a community at this point in your life?
I am looking for a group of folks that are not afraid to share. Who are trustworthy with the secrets I share in our group. Who care..
Other Stuff
I had to work late last night. It didn't go as well as I wanted. ;-( I got one thing figured out, but not the other two things. Heavy sigh. The worst part is that his is a lab environment! OH well.
I am supposed to have dinner with Fly bear tonight. I have to get him home early because he has to work early tomorrow.
Being a friend is something that I have been struggling with lately. I have been surprised by that struggle. To be specific, being a friend to someone who has not treated me well, someone who considers me one of his closest friends, someone who is not one of my closest friends (see "has not treated me well"). We are commanded to love those who do not love us. I finally realized that not every loves the way that I love. I am an "all in" Texas Hold-em kind of lover with friends and family. I don't hold much back. It is disarming to folks that aren't used to it. ;-p Taking people where they are is sometimes the hardest step in loving them that way. I will write more about this as I figure it out more.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
The devotional today reminded me how the eating habits of Americans changed during my generation. Saying things like "my generation" make me feel so old! hehehe Americans used to cook all of their meals at home and eat with the family. It was rare for a family to eat out at a restaurant. Eating out was eating a meal at church or a relative's house!
That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. The bad thing is fast food. Not that it can be unhealthy if eaten in large quantities, but rather it removes the savoring of food and family time (regardless of your chosen "family"). We eat on the run so we can make our next rehearsal or meeting or practice. Do you know of times that you took time to savor the food and the people you were eating with? I have very fond memories of sharing meals with close friends!
Taking time to savor our relationship with God is even more important. We can make our spiritual food like fast food -- eating it quickly alone and not savoring it with friends! This topic and my approach leads into the section below. Read on!
Lord, I want to take time to savor your Word. To let is permeate my being. To appreciate you and your love.
Teaching Tuesday
The last chapter in our class "Embracing an Adult Faith" by Marcus Borg is about community. The questions were pretty easy for me this week.
Where have you experienced a Spirit-centered community?
I have been fortunate to experience lots of communities, some Spirit-centered, most not. I have experienced several Spirit-centered communities since attending King Avenue UMC the past 3.5 years. It is incredible to make friends with folks that you barely noticed in the pews since the church is sort of large. Retaining those friendships after the small group or class is over is even better!
How do you experience it today?
I just finished a small group studying this book. I plan to start a new group in the next few weeks. I also volunteered to lead a group this Fall. We will see how that goes.
What are you looking for from a community at this point in your life?
I am looking for a group of folks that are not afraid to share. Who are trustworthy with the secrets I share in our group. Who care..
Other Stuff
I had to work late last night. It didn't go as well as I wanted. ;-( I got one thing figured out, but not the other two things. Heavy sigh. The worst part is that his is a lab environment! OH well.
I am supposed to have dinner with Fly bear tonight. I have to get him home early because he has to work early tomorrow.
Being a friend is something that I have been struggling with lately. I have been surprised by that struggle. To be specific, being a friend to someone who has not treated me well, someone who considers me one of his closest friends, someone who is not one of my closest friends (see "has not treated me well"). We are commanded to love those who do not love us. I finally realized that not every loves the way that I love. I am an "all in" Texas Hold-em kind of lover with friends and family. I don't hold much back. It is disarming to folks that aren't used to it. ;-p Taking people where they are is sometimes the hardest step in loving them that way. I will write more about this as I figure it out more.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Monday, April 4, 2011
Little details...
Our Daily Bread
I have an unusual personality at times. Those of you that know me are saying DOH! Do you think? hehehe While I am a very detail oriented person, I also get mired in the details at times. For me to truly understand and act on details, I usually have to start at the high level and drill down into the details. Then the details make sense in context and not just random facts or pieces of information. Make sense? Please say yes! ;-)
This is what I got out of the devotional this morning -- if I try to focus on the details of my life without understanding the high level first, I will fail in many of my goals. The best example is my relationship with God. I sometimes get mired in the details of being Christ-like, bogged down in the disappointments of not being perfect, of trying and not achieving my goal. Like I wrote yesterday, I had to change my goals.
Whether it is a sporting event, a task at work or my relationship with God, I need to rest in doing my best -- not being perfect.
Lord I want to do your work, your way. I want to pay attention to the details, but not get mired in them!
Movie Monday
I went to see the movie Source Code this weekend. Cool movie! I really liked it.
The story line is a soldier assigned to a group that has him accessing the last eight minutes of a dead man's life in order to find out the details of the bomb and bomber who killed the man (and many others). It was an interesting twist on time travel and alternate universes. There are lots of plot twists and turns that I liked. I think you will, too. You can watch this one on video. There isn't anything that screams to be seen on the big screen. I give this movie three bear paws.
PS: don't get too caught up in all the details in this movie. Not all of them add up...
Other Stuff
I feel a little better this morning after sleeping a lot this weekend. I missed all of the social events I had planned. Heavy sigh... Oh well. I will spend the rest of the week getting ready for hosting my dinner group on Sunday night. I am looking forward to that!
I have the last class in the Progressive Christianity series tonight. I will post my notes from this week in tomorrow's posting.
I am slowly but surely figuring out some issues at work. Whew!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I have an unusual personality at times. Those of you that know me are saying DOH! Do you think? hehehe While I am a very detail oriented person, I also get mired in the details at times. For me to truly understand and act on details, I usually have to start at the high level and drill down into the details. Then the details make sense in context and not just random facts or pieces of information. Make sense? Please say yes! ;-)
This is what I got out of the devotional this morning -- if I try to focus on the details of my life without understanding the high level first, I will fail in many of my goals. The best example is my relationship with God. I sometimes get mired in the details of being Christ-like, bogged down in the disappointments of not being perfect, of trying and not achieving my goal. Like I wrote yesterday, I had to change my goals.
Whether it is a sporting event, a task at work or my relationship with God, I need to rest in doing my best -- not being perfect.
Lord I want to do your work, your way. I want to pay attention to the details, but not get mired in them!
Movie Monday
I went to see the movie Source Code this weekend. Cool movie! I really liked it.
The story line is a soldier assigned to a group that has him accessing the last eight minutes of a dead man's life in order to find out the details of the bomb and bomber who killed the man (and many others). It was an interesting twist on time travel and alternate universes. There are lots of plot twists and turns that I liked. I think you will, too. You can watch this one on video. There isn't anything that screams to be seen on the big screen. I give this movie three bear paws.
PS: don't get too caught up in all the details in this movie. Not all of them add up...
Other Stuff
I feel a little better this morning after sleeping a lot this weekend. I missed all of the social events I had planned. Heavy sigh... Oh well. I will spend the rest of the week getting ready for hosting my dinner group on Sunday night. I am looking forward to that!
I have the last class in the Progressive Christianity series tonight. I will post my notes from this week in tomorrow's posting.
I am slowly but surely figuring out some issues at work. Whew!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Sunday, April 3, 2011
The condition of the heart...
Our Daily Bread
If you read my blog earlier in the week, you might remember that I had my annual physical on Monday. Funny that the devotional today refers to that as well!
Once again the devotional spoke to me personally. The church I attend has the Lord's Supper the first Sunday of each month, which would be today. After sleeping over 15 hours last night due to not feeling well, I decided to stay home from church today. It was more because of the Lord's Supper than not feeling well. A frusrtrating part of Christianity for me is never being able to measure up to the standard. I have to be continually reminded that being perfect is not the goal for a follower of Christ. Trying to be the best you can be while letting God's power flow through you is the goal. These are two very different things.
Are you an overachiever like me? It is impossible to overachieve at being a Christian! DOH! It is possible to live a Spirit-filled life and do many good things to praise and server our God. Amen!
Lord, I want to serve you the best I can. Help me put aside my perfectionist tendencies and just be your child!
Psalm Sunday
I call Psalm 8 one of the 'happy dance" psalms. hehehe Are you a Peanuts fan? Remember Snoopy's happy dance? What an amazing testimony to our God!
Psalm 8
For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David.
1 LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their[g] feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Other Stuff
Didn't feel well yesterday. I did a few things around the house and went to a movie. After that, I only wanted to sleep. I blew off all the stuff I had planned this weekend and went to bed. Whew... I will try to walk today after it warms up. I feel a little better this morning, but not much.
I saw the movie Source Code yesterday. I will review it on Monday.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
If you read my blog earlier in the week, you might remember that I had my annual physical on Monday. Funny that the devotional today refers to that as well!
Once again the devotional spoke to me personally. The church I attend has the Lord's Supper the first Sunday of each month, which would be today. After sleeping over 15 hours last night due to not feeling well, I decided to stay home from church today. It was more because of the Lord's Supper than not feeling well. A frusrtrating part of Christianity for me is never being able to measure up to the standard. I have to be continually reminded that being perfect is not the goal for a follower of Christ. Trying to be the best you can be while letting God's power flow through you is the goal. These are two very different things.
Are you an overachiever like me? It is impossible to overachieve at being a Christian! DOH! It is possible to live a Spirit-filled life and do many good things to praise and server our God. Amen!
Lord, I want to serve you the best I can. Help me put aside my perfectionist tendencies and just be your child!
Psalm Sunday
I call Psalm 8 one of the 'happy dance" psalms. hehehe Are you a Peanuts fan? Remember Snoopy's happy dance? What an amazing testimony to our God!
Psalm 8
For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David.
1 LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their[g] feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Other Stuff
Didn't feel well yesterday. I did a few things around the house and went to a movie. After that, I only wanted to sleep. I blew off all the stuff I had planned this weekend and went to bed. Whew... I will try to walk today after it warms up. I feel a little better this morning, but not much.
I saw the movie Source Code yesterday. I will review it on Monday.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Saturday, April 2, 2011
I'm a lover, not a fighter...
Special announcement!
I forgot to mention yesterday -- I celebrated 25 years of being cancer free! Woohooooo! I had lymphoma when I was 26 years old. I finished surgeries and chemotherapy on March 31, 1986. I celebrate April 1 as my day of healing and deliverance! Woohoooo! Praise God!
Our Daily Bread
I forget the name, but there was a comedian who used to say "I'm a lover, not a fighter". It may have been Flip Wilson's Geraldine character. Hmmmm. Gosh, I am old! hehehe
The devotional is talking about how followers of Christ need to show love and compassion for others. There are so many examples of this in the Bible. I find it the most difficult to have love and compassion for someone that doesn't like you or has hurt you. Christ still commands us to love them as well. Yes, it is easy to love folks that love you in return. It is Christ-like to have love and compassion for those who don't! Yikes!
I think that gay Christians deal with this concept more than straight folks. There are soooooo many folks that don't like gays and lesbians. Toooooooo many. And I am just talking about folks in churches! ;-( It is sad that the followers of God can't have compassion for us! It is also difficult for gay and lesbian followers of Christ to love those folks especially when so many hateful things have been said. We all need to pray for each other!
Lord, I want to have your love for others. I need assistance, please!
Simply Saturday
Not sure what I will get into today. I need to do some things around the house. I need to get some work done this weekend. I would rather sleep and go to movies! hehehe I felt like cooking last night so I made some BBQ ribs, garlic and herb chicken and baked chicken with my own coating made from whole wheat flower and spices. It smelled really good when baking! I also made some Velveeta shells. Mmmmmm.
I had a good session with the cardiologist. Things worked out for me to get my tests done on Wednesday morning and early afternoon. I will drive over to the eye doctor appointment after finishing with the cardiologist. I want to do a heart and circulation checkup since diabetics have so many problems with this.
I went to the new Giant Eagle in Upper Arlington after my cardiologist appointment. Wow! Did I mention Wow!!! I found the wine that someone brought to my NYE party. I found the very low carb snack a friend told me about. I found some amazing artisan bread. I picked up a few other groceries that I needed. It is a very, very nice store. I will go there again.
I am going to the Emmaus service tonight and then dropping by a party being given by a buddy. I can't stay out too late because I need to sing with Illuminati early Sunday morning. I would like to make it back to King Avenue before the 11:00 service. I will see how that goes. I will rest Sunday afternoon.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I forgot to mention yesterday -- I celebrated 25 years of being cancer free! Woohooooo! I had lymphoma when I was 26 years old. I finished surgeries and chemotherapy on March 31, 1986. I celebrate April 1 as my day of healing and deliverance! Woohoooo! Praise God!
Our Daily Bread
I forget the name, but there was a comedian who used to say "I'm a lover, not a fighter". It may have been Flip Wilson's Geraldine character. Hmmmm. Gosh, I am old! hehehe
The devotional is talking about how followers of Christ need to show love and compassion for others. There are so many examples of this in the Bible. I find it the most difficult to have love and compassion for someone that doesn't like you or has hurt you. Christ still commands us to love them as well. Yes, it is easy to love folks that love you in return. It is Christ-like to have love and compassion for those who don't! Yikes!
I think that gay Christians deal with this concept more than straight folks. There are soooooo many folks that don't like gays and lesbians. Toooooooo many. And I am just talking about folks in churches! ;-( It is sad that the followers of God can't have compassion for us! It is also difficult for gay and lesbian followers of Christ to love those folks especially when so many hateful things have been said. We all need to pray for each other!
Lord, I want to have your love for others. I need assistance, please!
Simply Saturday
Not sure what I will get into today. I need to do some things around the house. I need to get some work done this weekend. I would rather sleep and go to movies! hehehe I felt like cooking last night so I made some BBQ ribs, garlic and herb chicken and baked chicken with my own coating made from whole wheat flower and spices. It smelled really good when baking! I also made some Velveeta shells. Mmmmmm.
I had a good session with the cardiologist. Things worked out for me to get my tests done on Wednesday morning and early afternoon. I will drive over to the eye doctor appointment after finishing with the cardiologist. I want to do a heart and circulation checkup since diabetics have so many problems with this.
I went to the new Giant Eagle in Upper Arlington after my cardiologist appointment. Wow! Did I mention Wow!!! I found the wine that someone brought to my NYE party. I found the very low carb snack a friend told me about. I found some amazing artisan bread. I picked up a few other groceries that I needed. It is a very, very nice store. I will go there again.
I am going to the Emmaus service tonight and then dropping by a party being given by a buddy. I can't stay out too late because I need to sing with Illuminati early Sunday morning. I would like to make it back to King Avenue before the 11:00 service. I will see how that goes. I will rest Sunday afternoon.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Friday, April 1, 2011
Spiritual Bonbons...
Our Daily Bread
Ever seen those movies where an Egyptian queen is being fanned and being feed grapes by the hand of a handsome man? Ever joked with someone who is a housewife or househusband about laying around eating bonbons all day? hehehe
I have been fortunate to hear some very good preaching in my life. I know I have treated that preaching like spiritual bonbons at times -- sweet treats, but you can't make a diet of them alone! We need to add Bible study and prayer to exercise and grow our faith!
So you have some nice visuals for the next time you go to church! ;-)
Lord, I want have a healthy diet of solid spiritual food so I can grow in you!
Foodie Friday
I tried something new last night -- vegetarian sushi! Hal and Al's on Parsons has veggie sushi on Thursday night. This place is pretty cool even if there isn't any meat served there! They also have veggie hot dogs, burritos, tacos, and macaroni and cheese! Give it a try sometime.
My friends also talked about Dragonfly, a vegan restaurant near my church. It is more upscale than Hal and Al's! It is also in a much better neighborhood!
To offset the vegan food tonight, I am going to make some boneless ribs and chicken breasts tonight! I am using my Penzey's poultry spices and Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce for the ribs. Not sure what I am going to do with the chicken yet. I think I am going to try making my own seasoning and baking them. I will let you know how they turn out.
Other Stuff
My eyes are doing OK. I will keep plugging away.
I received my test results from my annual physical. My a1c went down. My total cholesterol was OK, but the numbers that make it up were a little off. Other stuff was OK. I go to the cardiologist this afternoon.
I have a few things planned for this weekend. I will also get some rest. It has been a long week.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Ever seen those movies where an Egyptian queen is being fanned and being feed grapes by the hand of a handsome man? Ever joked with someone who is a housewife or househusband about laying around eating bonbons all day? hehehe
I have been fortunate to hear some very good preaching in my life. I know I have treated that preaching like spiritual bonbons at times -- sweet treats, but you can't make a diet of them alone! We need to add Bible study and prayer to exercise and grow our faith!
So you have some nice visuals for the next time you go to church! ;-)
Lord, I want have a healthy diet of solid spiritual food so I can grow in you!
Foodie Friday
I tried something new last night -- vegetarian sushi! Hal and Al's on Parsons has veggie sushi on Thursday night. This place is pretty cool even if there isn't any meat served there! They also have veggie hot dogs, burritos, tacos, and macaroni and cheese! Give it a try sometime.
My friends also talked about Dragonfly, a vegan restaurant near my church. It is more upscale than Hal and Al's! It is also in a much better neighborhood!
To offset the vegan food tonight, I am going to make some boneless ribs and chicken breasts tonight! I am using my Penzey's poultry spices and Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce for the ribs. Not sure what I am going to do with the chicken yet. I think I am going to try making my own seasoning and baking them. I will let you know how they turn out.
Other Stuff
My eyes are doing OK. I will keep plugging away.
I received my test results from my annual physical. My a1c went down. My total cholesterol was OK, but the numbers that make it up were a little off. Other stuff was OK. I go to the cardiologist this afternoon.
I have a few things planned for this weekend. I will also get some rest. It has been a long week.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
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